Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) in Houston, TX

Cosmetic surgery is helpful to both men and women, especially when it comes to excess tummy fat or sagging abdominal skin. A tummy tuck can rejuvenate your entire appearance and help restore your confidence levels to an all-time high. If you live in Houston, Pearland, Lake Jackson or the surrounding areas of South Houston, Dr. Christopher Hankins and his professional staff can help you achieve a flatter, smoother, more toned stomach.

What is a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)?

Dr. Christopher Hankins provides patients with tummy tuck cosmetic surgery to remove sagging skin. Excess stomach fat, sagging skin, or unsightly stretch marks plague many men and women due to weight gain, weight loss, or pregnancy. It is possible to obtain the body shape you desire and stop using clothing to cover up and hide your body. A tummy tuck may be the solution.

What is a Mini Tummy Tuck?

A mini tummy tuck differs from a full tummy tuck in that the level of dissection is limited to the area below the umbilicus. Correction of diastasis below the umbilicus is possible but due to the limited dissection, is not done above that point. Due to the limited dissection, it is possible to make the incision somewhat shorter than it would have been for a full tummy tuck, but this is not a hard and fast rule.

Am I a Candidate for Tummy Tuck Surgery (Abdominoplasty)?

You may be a candidate for a tummy tuck if you are concerned about localized fat deposits in your stomach and loose, flabby skin. Patients who undergo a tummy tuck include:

Individuals who have lost weight but are troubled by stubborn fatty deposits, a stomach pouch, or loose skin.

Women who have weakened abdominal muscles, stretch marks, and sagging skin due to pregnancy are good candidates for a tummy tuck, or a “mommy makeover.”

Individuals after surgical weight loss who are left with weak or separated stomach muscles, stretched, redundant skin, and unsightly stretch marks.

Dr. Christopher Hankins advises his patients that a tummy tuck is an excellent cosmetic procedure to flatten and shape the abdomen and tighten and smooth the skin. This procedure is not meant as a weight loss solution on its own, and patients should be close to their ideal weight.

It’s important to note that not everyone is a candidate for tummy tuck surgery. If the patient’s BMI or height to weight ratio is too high, Dr. Hankins will recommend the amount of weight that should be lost prior to surgery, or in some cases, can offer a panniculectomy that will often enable patients to lose the additional weight in order to be considered a good candidate for a formal abdominoplasty.

However, the BMI is not a strict criteria for eligibility for surgery. Depending on the amount of fat that is stored in the abdomen both internally and externally, the patient may have to present with a lower BMI than other patients to be a viable candidate for surgery.

Dr. Hankins will examine your abdomen and skin elasticity, review your medical history, and discuss your body shaping goals. He will then determine if you are a candidate for tummy tuck surgery and thoroughly discuss the recommended tummy tuck procedure and surgical process.

About the Tummy Tuck Surgical Procedure

Dr. Hankins often begins a tummy tuck procedure with liposuction of the lower abdomen in the targeted area to be removed prior to an incision being made in the skin. This leaves the lymphatics behind to help prevent the occurrence of fluid accumulation that can occur with a conventional abdominoplasty. This technique was originally developed by Jean Francois Pascal of Leon, France. Afterward, an incision is made above the pubic line, which extends to the pelvic rim on each side.

The next step involves undermining the excess skin and fatty tissues from the initial incision. The amount of skin that is removed is tailored to the individual patient. This technique effectively addresses cases in which two bulges of fat are in the abdomen, one lying at a higher level than the other. Dr. Hankins performs an undermining surgical technique which effectively treats this deformity.

When the two middle strap muscles in the midline of the abdomen (i.e. the rectus abdominus) are separated (diastasis recti), Dr. Hankins will repair this deformity to give you a slimmer waistline and a flatter stomach.

For patients with an umbilical hernia, the hernia is repaired, and the abdominal skin and fat are then repositioned, and the excess skin removed.

Tummy Tuck Recovery

Most patients are admitted for a 23 hour of observation in the hospital post operatively for the management of pain and nausea. The following morning, the patients are sufficiently recovered so that they can be discharged home.

Patients done at a surgeon’s office and then sent home are at an extreme disadvantage for the first few hours following surgery when the pain and nausea are at their worse. As mentioned above, these patients may be paying less than what a patient would pay to have the surgery done in the hospital with a 23 hours overnight admission.

Patients are prescribed pain medication to help relieve pain and discomfort after surgery. Tummy tuck patients must wear a compression garment for several weeks to provide support to the abdomen while healing and are advised to take a stool softener to avoid straining at the stool. Dr. Hankins will recommend when you can return to work and other activities. Strenuous activities where you have to lift or strain your abdominal muscles must be avoided for at least six weeks.

Dr. Hankins will provide you with specific after surgery instructions, and follow up visits will be scheduled.

Our team at Pearland Premier Plastic Surgery is dedicated to helping you reach all your aesthetic goals. To find out more about abdominoplasty and whether a tummy tuck is right for you, contact the office today to schedule your free personal consultation. If you live in Houston, Pearland, Lake Jackson or the neighboring communities of South Houston, Dr. Hankins can help you achieve a body you won’t want to cover up!

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Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) in Houston, TX

Cosmetic surgery is helpful to both men and women, especially when it comes to excess tummy fat or sagging abdominal skin. A tummy tuck can rejuvenate your entire appearance and help restore your confidence levels to an all-time high. If you live in Houston, Pearland, Lake Jackson or the surrounding areas of South Houston, Dr. Christopher Hankins and his professional staff can help you achieve a flatter, smoother, more toned stomach.

What is a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)?

Dr. Christopher Hankins provides patients with tummy tuck cosmetic surgery to remove sagging skin. Excess stomach fat, sagging skin, or unsightly stretch marks plague many men and women due to weight gain, weight loss, or pregnancy. It is possible to obtain the body shape you desire and stop using clothing to cover up and hide your body. A tummy tuck may be the solution.

What is a Mini Tummy Tuck?

A mini tummy tuck differs from a full tummy tuck in that the level of dissection is limited to the area below the umbilicus. Correction of diastasis below the umbilicus is possible but due to the limited dissection, is not done above that point. Due to the limited dissection, it is possible to make the incision somewhat shorter than it would have been for a full tummy tuck, but this is not a hard and fast rule.

Am I a Candidate for Tummy Tuck Surgery (Abdominoplasty)?

You may be a candidate for a tummy tuck if you are concerned about localized fat deposits in your stomach and loose, flabby skin. Patients who undergo a tummy tuck include:

Individuals who have lost weight but are troubled by stubborn fatty deposits, a stomach pouch, or loose skin.

Women who have weakened abdominal muscles, stretch marks, and sagging skin due to pregnancy are good candidates for a tummy tuck, or a “mommy makeover.”

Individuals after surgical weight loss who are left with weak or separated stomach muscles, stretched, redundant skin, and unsightly stretch marks.

Dr. Christopher Hankins advises his patients that a tummy tuck is an excellent cosmetic procedure to flatten and shape the abdomen and tighten and smooth the skin. This procedure is not meant as a weight loss solution on its own, and patients should be close to their ideal weight.

It’s important to note that not everyone is a candidate for tummy tuck surgery. If the patient’s BMI or height to weight ratio is too high, Dr. Hankins will recommend the amount of weight that should be lost prior to surgery, or in some cases, can offer a panniculectomy that will often enable patients to lose the additional weight in order to be considered a good candidate for a formal abdominoplasty.

However, the BMI is not a strict criteria for eligibility for surgery. Depending on the amount of fat that is stored in the abdomen both internally and externally, the patient may have to present with a lower BMI than other patients to be a viable candidate for surgery.

Dr. Hankins will examine your abdomen and skin elasticity, review your medical history, and discuss your body shaping goals. He will then determine if you are a candidate for tummy tuck surgery and thoroughly discuss the recommended tummy tuck procedure and surgical process.

About the Tummy Tuck Surgical Procedure

Dr. Hankins often begins a tummy tuck procedure with liposuction of the lower abdomen in the targeted area to be removed prior to an incision being made in the skin. This leaves the lymphatics behind to help prevent the occurrence of fluid accumulation that can occur with a conventional abdominoplasty. This technique was originally developed by Jean Francois Pascal of Leon, France. Afterward, an incision is made above the pubic line, which extends to the pelvic rim on each side.

The next step involves undermining the excess skin and fatty tissues from the initial incision. The amount of skin that is removed is tailored to the individual patient. This technique effectively addresses cases in which two bulges of fat are in the abdomen, one lying at a higher level than the other. Dr. Hankins performs an undermining surgical technique which effectively treats this deformity.

When the two middle strap muscles in the midline of the abdomen (i.e. the rectus abdominus) are separated (diastasis recti), Dr. Hankins will repair this deformity to give you a slimmer waistline and a flatter stomach.

For patients with an umbilical hernia, the hernia is repaired, and the abdominal skin and fat are then repositioned, and the excess skin removed.

Tummy Tuck Recovery

Most patients are admitted for a 23 hour of observation in the hospital post operatively for the management of pain and nausea. The following morning, the patients are sufficiently recovered so that they can be discharged home.

Patients done at a surgeon’s office and then sent home are at an extreme disadvantage for the first few hours following surgery when the pain and nausea are at their worse. As mentioned above, these patients may be paying less than what a patient would pay to have the surgery done in the hospital with a 23 hours overnight admission.

Patients are prescribed pain medication to help relieve pain and discomfort after surgery. Tummy tuck patients must wear a compression garment for several weeks to provide support to the abdomen while healing and are advised to take a stool softener to avoid straining at the stool. Dr. Hankins will recommend when you can return to work and other activities. Strenuous activities where you have to lift or strain your abdominal muscles must be avoided for at least six weeks.

Dr. Hankins will provide you with specific after surgery instructions, and follow up visits will be scheduled.

Our team at Pearland Premier Plastic Surgery is dedicated to helping you reach all your aesthetic goals. To find out more about abdominoplasty and whether a tummy tuck is right for you, contact the office today to schedule your free personal consultation. If you live in Houston, Pearland, Lake Jackson or the neighboring communities of South Houston, Dr. Hankins can help you achieve a body you won’t want to cover up!